According to statistics recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the suicide rate for women who are 75 years or older is relatively high within the Asian American communities in the United States. According to the CDC, the rate is twice the amount of that for Caucasian women of the same age group. To increase awareness about the alarming statistic, several community organizations gathered in Flushing's Korean American Senior Center to discuss the problem. They hope that more people will pay closer attention to the mental health of older women.  

On September 24th, numerous representatives from Chinese and Korean senior centers and other community organizations attended the event. To reach out to more people, the sponsoring organization showed a special public announcement video produced by them, which was enthusiastically received.  The aim of the video was to show the issues that older Asian women face. Because of cultural differences, older Asian women become increasingly depressed and isolated, not reaching out to other people for help. In addition, they often feel like they are a burden to their family. Moreover, many of them don't speak English and live alone, with their children rarely visiting them. All these factors exacerbate the isolation, which can lead to mental health problems and ultimately, to suicide. 

The new trend got the attention of New York State Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera (D-76th Assembly District), who attended the event. He stated that he has requested $1 million from the State Assembly to set up a foundation for the prevention of suicides among the older Asian population. 

The community organizations want to use the funding to raise awareness of the risks of suicide among older Asian women. The outreach strategy will include images, pamphlets, workshops and other formants to let more people know that suicides can be prevented. They hope that Asian women who are struggling will be able to come forward instead of facing these problems alone.